Table football game



Nov. 25, 1989 R. FRASER 3,48o,z77

TABLE FooTBALL GAME Filed Aug. 17. 1988 :NvENToR RALPH FRAER United States Patent 3,480,277 TABLE FOOTBALL GAME Ralph Fraser, 508 Bathurst Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Filed Aug. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 573,034

Int. Cl. A63f 7/06 U.S. Cl. 273-94 1 Clalm ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table football game having a playing board with ball impelling members mounted on rotatable and slidable transverse rods, some of the members being'provided with a special rearwardly extending foot designed to pick up and support the ball and to project the same in an overhead aerial forward pass in a direction away'from that toward which the foot extends, on rotation of the member through approximately 180 degrees. The playing board having a sloped playing surface and a 'back vstop for keeping the ball in play.

This invention relates to a table football game capable of being played by a plurality of players who are divded into two teams.

Games in which a light ball is used are known and in one case the propelling force applied to the ball is created by the player blowing on the ball to cause it to travel in a desired path. In other cases, bats or paddles are used suspended from rotary rods which are axially slidable, and these rods are provided with radial arms so that animated players manipulate the rotary rods to bring the bat or paddle into engagernent with the ball, and on the rotation of the bat, a ball engaged thereby is caused ,to travel to and fro on the table and along the surface or close to the surface thereof, each player endeavouring to cause the ball to move in the direction of the opponent's goal.

Sometimes the paddles are in the form of uniformed players which adds to the realism of the game when in play- The object of the above games is to score goals against the opposing team so that the game may be regardcd as a form of table football.

However, in all of these prevously known games no means has been disclosed for propelling the ball forwardly as an airborne forward pass, which forward pass is characteristic of the Canadian and American games of football. This was a very particular problem which had to be solved to impart to my table game this at'tractive feature which will appeal to all players, as it means jockeying the ball into a favourable position for engagement by an angled and/or 'bifurcated paddle to 'execute such a forward pass.

It will be clear that the general type of table and the manipulating rods and operation of the same are conventional and are not my invention except insofar as they constitute a part of the playing instrumentalities which are used in combination with my particular form of crown in the centre of the playing field and the unique form of angle shaped 'bats or impellers which are used to transmit aerial flight to a ball in playing table football.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the described proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyng drawings.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

3,480,277 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a rectangular playing board on which is slidably and rotatably mounted a plurality of transverse rods carrying a number of inanimate players, and the formation 'of these players embody my invention though the playing 'board in itself is known in the art;

FIGUR'E 2 is a Vertical longitudinal section of the playing board, as seen on line '2. 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a Vertical transverse section, as seen on line 3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 s an enlarged rear elevation of a bat or paddle designed to engage a playing ball for eifecting an overhead forward pass on rotation through an angle of approximately degrees; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of the bat or paddle illustrated in FIGURE 4, and showing the ball engaged by the angle shaped or offset foot portion on the rear side of the paddle or bat.

Referring to the drawings, the playing board has a ground or field 1, end and side walls 2 and 3 respectively, and a plurality of transversely disposed rods 4 rotatably mounted and axially movable in the opposite side walls 3. The base or ground 1 of the playing board is formed with opposite halves declining toward the centre and a goal 5 is formed or provided centrally in each end wall 2. This construction is conventional and need not 'be further described.

In my invention I provide, in addition to the usual flat impellers, a number of special paddles or bats 6 which comprise a relatively broad arm, the lower end of which is offset or angularly disposed as a rearwardly extending foot as shown at 7. The surface of the offset or angular end 7 is -formed with a concavity 7a in which a ball 8 can rest preparatory to being projected forwardly to constitute a forward pass. The offset or angular end of the paddle or 'bat 6 may be bifurcated if and when desired and is adapted to facilitate engagement with the ball 8 'when the game is in progress. The longer arm of the paddle or bat 6 is attached to a transverse rotatable rod 4 and is approximately tangential to the peripheral wall of the rod.

In the centre of the ground or playing field 1, I provide a transversely disposed crown 9 which is tapered along its two longitudinal edges so that the ball 8, when in centre field, will roll toward a transverse recess accessible to the paddle or bat 6 so that there is no dead spot in which the ball can lodge and wherein the ball would be inaccessible to' the persons playing the game.

To render the forward pass play more effective, I find it desirable to provide a back stop across each end.| A suitable device is a net 10 supported by a light rectangular frame 11 mounted on the playing boards side walls at each end. The lower ends 12 of the frame's side posts are declined inwardly to direct a ball, thrown into the net, toward the goal opening 5. Beneath these declining ends or troughs 12 are filler blocks 14 positioned against the ends 2 and extending in from the sides 3 toward the goal, but not far enough to interfere with the plain paddle on the rod 4 nearest the goal, 'whose axial movement is suitably restricted by stops 15. The upper side of the blocks 14 are Sloped toward the goal, enabling the elimination of the declining ends 12 of the net frame if desired.

When in use the persons playing the Igame are divded into opposing te-ams and each player may manipulate a transverse rotatable rod 4 to bring the depending paddle into engagement with the ball 8 and on rotation of the rod in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction as the case may be, cause the ball 8 to be projected horizontally along the ground or in airborne flight in the form of a forward pass.

A goal is scored by causing the ball 8 to pass through opponent's goal opening in the end wall of the board.

The game afords -considerable pleasure and enjoyment to both older and younger persons who participate in the game.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a table football game is provided that will .fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a game, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrctive sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A ball game comprising in combination a playing board carrying rotatable and axially movable rods and a projecting member, adapted to transmit an overhead forward pass of the ball, said member comprising a relatively broad fiat plate tangentially depending from an associated rotary rod, the lower end of the plate having a rearwardly extending offset foot to engage a ball, said foot extending in a direction away from that to which the forward pass is to be made, wherein the playing board References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 532,808 1955 Italy.

8,915 1933 France. 1,076,586 1954 France. 1,061,827 1953 France.

815,619 1937 France.

925,198 1947 France.

699,567 1953 Great Britain.

838,291 1938 France.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Prirnary Examiner P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 273- 

